Kenneth Robbins
African Rulers in South Asia: The Royal Families of Janjira and Sachin
Wednesday 2.07.2025
Summary
Please note this session was only available to watch live.
Multiple East African rulers and strongmen attained political and military power over non-Africans in South Asia. For more than 300 years, Janjira (south of Bombay) was ruled by one such elite, which was known for its impregnable island fort and naval forces. The lecture focuses on the tragic story of one Janjira Nawab and his feminist wife, as well as the accomplishments of members of the Sachin royal family. Kenneth Robbins has arranged for special appearances by Nawab Sidi Reza Khan, the present Nawab of Sachin; his sister, Princess Farah, and Faaeza Jasdanwalla-Williams, niece of the Nawab of Janjira and a historian specializing in the African diaspora and women in the Ottoman Empire.